On 2 Jan 2006 07:31:19 -0800, jim rozen
wrote:

In article , Gunner Asch says...

And here I thought it was a lack-of-faith based belief system....

Nope. They believe that there is no God, are quite sure of it. When
lots of evidence points otherwise. So without any way to prove
it..they go by faith.

This boils down to an occams razor thing. You use the simplest
explaination that fits the facts. Supernatural beings are not
simple, nor are they needed to explain the world as seen.

To put it another way gunner, I am absolutely sure that there's
a blue china teapot orbiting pluto right now. It's my faith.
If you don't belive it then you are a heretic and must be burned
at the stake.

There's no way to prove it.
There's no way to disprove it.
Its existence in no way matters in explaining how things work.

But you still need to be punished for not believing.

Jim

Who wants to punish you for not believing?
Actually..I see far more folks wanting to punish you FOR beliving than
otherwise.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner